C-47 glider tugs

[BAJ]

For those interested Ive taken some photos of the installation of the tow rings on the HARS Dakotas with and without the tail fairings

http://s1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg634/baj10/Dakota%20Tow%20Ring/

Photos show structural arrangement, fastening points, shrouds and canvas cover.

Last edited by BAJ on Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

[gliderman1]

BAJ, good photos. I had never seen the structure used to attach the tow release to the C-47 frame.

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... 46_txt.jpg

Here is photo of the tow release and tow line end displayed in the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, TX. This is the standard hook up for 11/16" or 15/16" tow lines.
1. nylon tow line spliced back into loop through the thimble.
2. Aluminum Thimble
3. Oval link
4. Figure 8 swing link
5. Plug with round link on one side as in your photos
6. D shaped ring on back of plug
7. square jaws which locked around D ring.
8. tow release, release lever. Cable connected to cockpit in tug and glider.
9. is rear body of tow release.
In your photos this is bolted into the structural framework similarly as it is bolted through the wood saddle of this demo platform.

[SaxMan]

Would the tow hardware be a permanent part of a C-47 airframe and faired over when released into civilian service, or would have this been discarded entirely when no longer needed?

Update on my search for C-47 42-100985, N88835: I pinpointed the location. It is on park property, behind a house that is owned by the park service. As it turned out the Communications Supervisor for Park Police who I work with was considering renting that specific house where the crash occured. She rejected the site because it did have the crash. She didn't want to live in a place knowing that three men were killed, literally in the backyard.

At this point, the Park Managers are in the process of notify the tenant and have approved us going in and doing a preliminary search and survey of the crash site. It is in a fairly remote part of the park and we have reason to believe the site has basically gone undisturbed, save the one visit by the Capital Airlines Association some years ago.

[BAJ]

Would the tow hardware be a permanent part of a C-47 airframe and faired over when released into civilian service, or would have this been discarded entirely when no longer needed?

Update on my search for C-47 42-100985, N88835: I pinpointed the location. It is on park property, behind a house that is owned by the park service. As it turned out the Communications Supervisor for Park Police who I work with was considering renting that specific house where the crash occured. She rejected the site because it did have the crash. She didn't want to live in a place knowing that three men were killed, literally in the backyard.

At this point, the Park Managers are in the process of notify the tenant and have approved us going in and doing a preliminary search and survey of the crash site. It is in a fairly remote part of the park and we have reason to believe the site has basically gone undisturbed, save the one visit by the Capital Airlines Association some years ago.

The framing looks to be quite removable with bolts though stringers and doublers (See my previous post with Photobucket link).

[SaxMan]

Resurrecting an old thread.

A continued search for wartime pics 42-100985 finally bore some fruit thanks to the 437th TCG association. As it turns out, 42-100985 was assigned to a new pilot, Jared (Jim) Skidmore in late June 1944. He flew the plane through the end of the war, including Operations Anvil, Market-Garden and Varsity. They also did a stint as the personal transport plane for 6th Army Commander General Jacob Devers. The plane was named the "Cheryl-Belle". Cheryl was the co-pilot's girlfriend, and "Belle" was Skidmore's wife's nickname.

Nose art of 42-100985:
Cheryl-Belle by onyxsax, on Flickr

Skidmore pictured with his ship:
Cheryl-Belle 3 by onyxsax, on Flickr

Finally, the "money" picture: Skidmore with the plane's serial number and the single star added for General Devers.
Cheryl-Belle - tail by onyxsax, on Flickr

Skidmore passed a number of years ago. It appears he was completely unaware that his ship ended up at Capital Airlines as N88835 and crashed in Clarksburg, MD on June 22, 1957. Skidmore's family, though, was notified of the connection.

[JohnB]

Some kind people at the WWII Glider Pilots Association (I posted a mention here that my late uncle Robert Cote flew them) recently provided information on his service.

He flew WACOs in three major operations, Normandy, Southern France and Market Garden.
One of their Dutch researchers provided me with a scan of a rare manifest.
On Sept 19, 1944, he flew a CG-4A towed by a C-47A-DL...42-100669. His glider is listed only as "62-B" .

His load was two passengers (A T/Sgt and a private), a utility trailer, MG ammo.."440" something (it's not clear) with a weight of 150 pounds, 65 gals ov aviation fuel, and 550 pounds of aviation tools and supplies.

If anyone has a photo of that aircraft, I'd love to see it.

Last edited by JohnB on Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[SaxMan]

A little searching:

42-100669 was flown by the 440th TCG -- on D-Day, it dropped parachutists from 501st PIR. At some point, it was transferred to the 435th TCG, 78 TCS. On 10/2/44 it was involved in some kind of takeoff accident with Emmett M. Gaulding at the controls. It could not have been too serious as the plane survived the war and was surplused from Davis-Monthan on August 4, 1964 with this memo: To Air International Corporation, Miami, FL. To MAP. Sounds like it went overseas. c/n is 19132.

Hope this gives you a good start.

[patelie]

Almost 5 years since the last answer but.....

on D-Day 669 was already with the 78th TCS and dropped paratroopers of 3/501

JohnB, if you are always here.. I have two photographs of 669

[p51]

https://youtu.be/jfYSmGl8io8